Coupler-positioning device



July 19,1927.

V. E. SISSON COUPLER rosmxonwe DEVICE Filed April 1926 772 velzzonPatented July 19, 19.27,

UNITED? V'IN'IIIOIN- E. SISS'ON, OF CHICAGO; ILLINOIS, ASSI'G1\T:OR" T0.'UNION "METAL PRODUCTS COMFANY; OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A C0R]?ORA'J.IOIT0]? DELAWARE.

COUPLER-POSITIONING DEVICE.

This device relates to means for: automatically positioning the couplerof a railway by gravity. 7

couplersarc mounted iii-.the cars so. as'to;

permit. a limited an'ioiu'it of lateral=move-- inent. Such limitation isnecessary and essential because if the couplers were allowed to movetoo-far toe'ither side, the couplers of.

the two cars beingrcoupled would pass-each other andnoticouplc; therebydefeating the object otthe automatic coupler. The greater the lateralmovement of a coupler the less side pressure on the striking,castingwhen the cars are going aroundcurves. This lateral pressure:torces thewheel-flanges against the rail causing considerablefrictionand wearing of the rails and-wheels.

)ne of the objects ot-the invention-=is to increase the amount oipermissible lateral movement (it a coupler by providing automatic meansfor returning the couplers. to the.longitudinal center'ot' theicaror atleast close enough th'ereto'aso that the automatic couplers will couple.This a is what is termed the coupling range.

It is very often necessary: to couple! cars on curves and frequently.when the radius oi the curve is very small, as isv common around.industrial plants, the; couplers of the two cars will'be sofar outiofalignment that they will not automatically couple. Another object o'tthewinvention-is to. auto matically bring such couplers: within couplingrange; The outside rail of a curved track is-raised abovathefinside railand I provide means whereloyi the-coupler ismoved toward the inside ofthe curve by gravity. Thisautomatic gravity means also returns thecoupler to the longitudinal center of the car when the car moves fromthe curved to the straight part of the track.

In my device the lateral movement between the coupler and the carrier iseliminated, thus reducing friction and consequent wear 011 the parts.Thisis quite an item particularly in sandy countries because couplersare costly and the replacement of a coupler means keeping the car out ofservice.

Coupler positioning devices reduces the number of broken knuckles andguard arms on couplers which members are frequently mally.

Application fileiApril 19; 1926p Serial No. 102,977..

bent .oi-g-i-broken vwhen the couplers are not-- within couplingran-ge.Such i devicesalso' reduce the number of accidents to-trainnien astheyare not required to go.--between.the

cars.- andalposition the coupler preparatorytoic coupling.

It has bc'en found ad-vantageousv to have the coupler supportcast-integralwith theiv strikingcasting to obtain a'four sidedmembe]:which reint'o-rcesthe end sill, draft. sill,l 6a:

and associated parts. and my device is es. pecially adaptableto suchacombinedcast" mg. v One or more eccentric rollers or eccentricrockersare frequently placedbetweeir the m coupler and its support orbetweenithei coupler carriage and its support, as-the case may be,-Wlll'Gl'l'rClGVlCQS .raisethe coupler I astliey rollior-rock to oneside,.thus causing the coupler-to return toacentra'l normal por M sitionby gravity" Such devicesalso cause. the-couplen to move laterally when:the car is on acurved traclu WVhen a single roller I or rocker is usedit does not: stabilize the coupler, that is, prevent it.ifi'onirevolving 8m;

around itsownilongitudinal axis- An ob-'; ject' of the-invention istoprovidemeans inl-. dependent oftl'ietpositioning device which preventsthe coupler fromiz tipping abnor-.

In the drawings; Fig. '1 shows a typicali application got thei devicetoa railway can;

Fig.2 is a section online -2.2-0Fig. 1.

Figs; 3 and 4:";ZL1'B: diagrams lshowing; 3 a;-

pi-'eterredform in normaliposition and! extlGIHBelatelH-l' position,respectively. I i

The striking; ;casting :orbufi'er block '2 is 1. attached to the*draftsill 3 oruother partoirthecanbody any suitable mannerand- 859;,

the: coupler support t-is attached thereto orpreferably cast i-integraltherewith..-. Thor. coupler 5 rests upon the carriage 6 which engagesthe support in such a manner as to restrict its movement longitudinallyof the car but permits its movement sidewise of the car. This ispreferably accomplished by providing a U-shaped support having spacedapart walls 78 between which the carriage moves in one direction but isrestricted in its movement longitudinally of thecar. The carriage isprovided with means 10 to restrict lateral movement of the couplerrelative thereto.

In the construction illustrated an eccen- 11o tric roller 12 isinterposed between the carriage and the support so that as it rolls toone side it raises the coupler. The coupler support has its uppersurface ll) substantially coincident with the path described by thecoupler in its lateral movement, or as preferred, the upper surface ofthe support may be spaced apart from and substantially parallel to thepath described byvthe coupler in its lateral movement. With thisarrangement the coupler can only tip animmaterial amount-before itengages the upper surfaces of the support.

lVhile I have illustrated a single roller type of coupler positioningdevice, it is un derstood that my invention may be used with any of thevarious types of positioning devices upon the market, such as the rollertype; rocker type; single or double roller or rocker type or the typehaving a swingingly suspended carrier. The contour of the upper surfaceof the rigid support depends upon the type of positioning device used.

I claim:

1. In a railway car; the combination of a laterally movable coupler, asingle eccentric roller which raises the coupler upon lateral movementthereof, and a member positioned below the couplerwith its upper surfacesubstantially parallel to the path described by the coupler upon lateralmovement.

2. In a railway car; the combination of a. laterally 'movable coupler, acoupler carriage with means to restrict the lateral movement of thecoupler relative thereto, a U-shaped coupler support with its uppersurfaces substantially parallel to the path described by the coupler inits lateral movement whereby the coupler is prevented from tipping, anda single eccentric roller interposed between the carriage and thesupport which raises the coupler upon lateral movement thereof, aportion of said carriage extending within the support so as to restrictits movement longitudinally of the car.

3. In a railway car; the combination of a laterally movable coupler, acoupler carriage with means to restrict the lateral movement of thecoupler relative thereto, a U-shaped coupler support with its uppersurfaces substantially parallel to the path described by the coupler inits lateral movement whereby the coupler is prevented from tipping, asingle eccentric roller interposed between the carriage and the supportwhich raises the coupler upon lateral movement thereof, a portion ofsaid carriage extending within the support so as to restrict itsmovement longitudinally of the car, and another portion extending overthe support so as to re-" strict its downward movement.

4:. In a railway car; the combination of a laterally movable coupler, acoupler carriage with means to restrict the lateral movementof thecoupler relative thereto, acoupler support with its upper surfacessubstantially parallel to the path described by the coupler in itslateral movementwhereby the coupler is prevented from tipping, and asingle eccentric roller interposed between the carriage and the supportwhich raises the coupler upon lateral movement thereof, said carriageinteracting with the support to permit the longitudinal but to restrictthe lateral movement of the carriage.

5. In a railway car; the combination of a laterally movable coupler, acoupler carriage with means to restrict the lateral movement of thecoupler relative thereto, a coupler support with its upper surfacessubstantially parallel to the path described by the coupler in itslateral. movement whereby the coupler is prevented from'tipping, and asingle ec centric roller interposed between the carriw'e and the supportwhich raises the coupler pon lateral movement thereof, said carrigeinteracting with the support to permit the lngitudinal but to restrictthe lateral movemeat of the carriage and also to restrict its downwardmovement.

1;. In a railway car, the combination of a yrally movable coupler, acoupler carriage wi ,1 means to restrict the lateral i'novemei it of thecoupler relative thereto, a coupler support, and a single rollerinterposed between the support and the coupler carriage co-acting withaportion of the support to raise the coupler upon lateral movement saidsupport having another poracent the coupler having an upper cesubstantially parallel to the path .ibed by the coupler upon lateralmove- VINTON E. SISSON.

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